Film review: Paul Rudd brings heart and laughs to Marvel’s Ant-Man
It’s not often that a superhero film will make you laugh out loud, but this Marvel Comics vehicle will, thanks largely to its lead actor, Paul Rudd, and director Peyton Reed
Even for a superhero movie, the plot for Ant-Man would appear at first to be ludicrous in the extreme: put on a secret suit, press a button, and shrink to the size of an ant — but with the superhuman strength necessary for saving the world. Cue the nasty run-in with a rat. But in the hands of director Peyton Reed (Yes Man, The Break-Up), Ant-Man becomes not just a viable film, but an intensely likeable one.
Much of that is because of Paul Rudd, the charismatic and genuinely amiable star of comedies like This Is 40 and Our Idiot Brother. Here, he plays Scott Lang, a down-on-his-luck electrical engineer fresh out of jail who stumbles across said secret suit and unwittingly becomes the guy designated to save the day.
Rudd is one of those unlikely superhero types, an everyman who wants to do right by his little daughter and ex-wife. He doesn’t have the billions of Tony Stark, or the might of Thor. In the the Marvel comics pantheon, at least the way Ant-Man is introduced to us here, he’s a well-meaning guy looking for a second chance.
Rudd’s natural comedic talent carries him along, a glint in his eye breaking moments of tension. Throughout the film, personalities are one of the best things about this movie, keeping the pacing brisk and fun. The sly references to the Marvel universe and the comparatively restrained big action sequences also thankfully make Ant-Man a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
